Throughout my three years as an FLL coach. I assisted the technology director with several community outreach projects. Each year the team members researched a problem in the community and investigated solutions related to the theme of the year. The three themes I experienced were nanotechnology, sources of power and green technologies, and climate change.
The first year my team visited a fifth grade class at Harter Elementary in Canton, Ohio and shared their research project and solution choosing a skit-style presentation. The team then shared their robot design, attachments and the programs they had written to solve the year's missions on the the table. The following year, this teacher communicated with me as she began using robotics in her classroom and coached her first FLL team.
The second year the students explored the use of power in the community and the growing problems associated to depleting resources. The project involved solving a community problem using such green technologies. The team paired up with two local business, the Canton Repository and the McKinley Monument and Museum, to investigate their use of power and try to provide alternative energy options that would lower energy costs. Prior to the team's participation in the state tournament, they traveled to Timken Senior High School where the broadcasting students interviewed the team about the research project, the robot, and table missions. The interview aired on the local school television station.
The final year the team learned about climate change and its impact on the community. News Channel 5 traveled to the school to interview the team about their success at the regional tournament and to discuss the team's solutions for the climates impact in northeast Ohio.
REFLECTION
One of the greatest experiences during the FLL season was making a connection with the community in one or more ways. The students saw that their ideas and solutions could possibly make a difference. They were amazed when the McKinley Museum representative responded to a variety of green technology solutions that would soon be instituted in the building following the team's suggestions. The team went on to conduct interviews and present at school assemblies. The team members ideas inspired other youth to join in.
The outreach experiences also helped the students on the team grow in confidence as public speakers. I witnessed shy, passive children grow and yearn to share the knowledge they had learned with whoever was willing to listen. Today I try to provide similar speaking experiences in my classroom to help develop the confidence of all my students in public speaking.
The first year my team visited a fifth grade class at Harter Elementary in Canton, Ohio and shared their research project and solution choosing a skit-style presentation. The team then shared their robot design, attachments and the programs they had written to solve the year's missions on the the table. The following year, this teacher communicated with me as she began using robotics in her classroom and coached her first FLL team.
The second year the students explored the use of power in the community and the growing problems associated to depleting resources. The project involved solving a community problem using such green technologies. The team paired up with two local business, the Canton Repository and the McKinley Monument and Museum, to investigate their use of power and try to provide alternative energy options that would lower energy costs. Prior to the team's participation in the state tournament, they traveled to Timken Senior High School where the broadcasting students interviewed the team about the research project, the robot, and table missions. The interview aired on the local school television station.
The final year the team learned about climate change and its impact on the community. News Channel 5 traveled to the school to interview the team about their success at the regional tournament and to discuss the team's solutions for the climates impact in northeast Ohio.
REFLECTION
One of the greatest experiences during the FLL season was making a connection with the community in one or more ways. The students saw that their ideas and solutions could possibly make a difference. They were amazed when the McKinley Museum representative responded to a variety of green technology solutions that would soon be instituted in the building following the team's suggestions. The team went on to conduct interviews and present at school assemblies. The team members ideas inspired other youth to join in.
The outreach experiences also helped the students on the team grow in confidence as public speakers. I witnessed shy, passive children grow and yearn to share the knowledge they had learned with whoever was willing to listen. Today I try to provide similar speaking experiences in my classroom to help develop the confidence of all my students in public speaking.